„Sometimes the hardest decision and the right decision are the same.“
Arcadian proverb
Third Guild Day of Mortis, 126 HR
When Amariel entered the reception hall of the Barracks, Lady Diana was sitting behind her large desk, as usual. She was sorting some letters, and the day's mail was precisely the reason why Sarin's adjutant had sought out the concierge. Her factol was expecting a letter from Lady Erin, and Amariel wanted to ask if a courier had already arrived from the Festhall. The Chosen had returned from the Abyss the night before – but without Lereia. Amariel's shift had already ended, so she hadn't heard about the events, but Sarin had informed her the very next morning. About the discovery of the sword Hope, but also about the unfortunate fate of Lereia, Garush and Yelmalis, as well as Red Shroud's outrageous demand for a kiss from him. Amariel hadn't believed her ears. The succubus might be a demon princess, might rule over one of Pazunia's most important fortresses, but this request was so presumptuous and bold that she had been at a loss for words. Sarin, who had had a night to sleep on it, seemed upset, but also exhausted and pensive. On the one hand, he certainly hadn't had much rest, and on the other, he was now under immense pressure, as the lives of the three prisoners depended on his decision and his next steps. Kissing a succubus would be a risky undertaking for anyone, but few could lose more than him. Amariel was only too aware of this, and it cut like a red-hot knife into her heart to see her factol in such a situation. She therefore hoped all the more that Lady Erin's letter would contain something that would help Sarin and the prisoners.
She took a deep breath and then walked over to Diana's desk. “Lady Diana, the Lady's Grace,” she greeted her. “The factol sent me. I am to ask if a courier from the Festhall has been here and delivered a letter for him from Factol Erin.“
The concierge nodded immediately. ”Yes, indeed. A young gnome lady was here and handed me a letter.“ She pulled an envelope decorated with the Sensates' symbol from a pile of letters in front of her. ”Here it is.”
“Very good,” Amariel replied with relief. “Factol Sarin will be very happy to hear that. I'll carry the letter to him myself.”
Diana nodded gently and handed her the envelope, eyeing the half-elf thoughtfully. “Disturbing things are happening right now, huh? I met Sarin this morning and he seemed ... well, let's say he looked a little tired out.“
Amariel smiled at Diana's tactful and diplomatic observation. ”To be honest, yes,“ she replied. ”These are turbulent times and quite a few things are on the factol's mind at the moment.”
The concierge nodded, discreet as ever. “I see. Then I hope everything will calm down soon, and I'm glad to know he has your support.”
“That's very kind of you, Diana,” Amariel said gratefully. “I'm doing what I can to be of help to him.” She was already on her way to the door, but turned back once more. “There’s no letter addressed directly to me among today's mail?”
Diana went through the stack of envelopes on her desk once more, then looked up and shook her head. “Unfortunately not, decuria. Is it urgent?”
“It's about the case I'm currently working on,” the half-elf explained. “One of my informants wanted to contact me as soon as she had any news. But apparently there's nothing yet.” As much as Amariel had hoped for a message from Síkhara, she knew she would have to be patient. After all, it had only been two days since her meeting with the blood hunter, Rakalla and Haer'Dalis.
The concierge nodded. “I understand, decuria. I'll let you know as soon as a letter arrives for you.”
“Thank you, Lady Diana,” the half-elf replied, then she hurried back upstairs and to the factol's office.
Sarin was not sitting behind his desk, but pacing up and down the room, radiating a certain restlessness that was uncharacteristic of him.
“Sir,” she said as soon as she had closed the door behind her. “As you suspected, a letter has arrived from Factol Erin.”
“Very good, decuria.” He sat down, but did not take the letter, instead motioning to her to open it.
She carefully broke the lavender-colored seal and looked questioningly at Sarin. He usually read his mail himself instead of having her read it to him.
This time, however, he nodded to her. “Please read it aloud, decuria. I am curious to hear what my esteemed colleague has discovered.”
Amariel nodded, took the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it. The fine sheet of paper was decorated with elaborate drawings of irises and bracken fern along the edges. Erin's delicate handwriting covered the page, graceful yet easy to read. Amariel cleared her throat once before reading the contents of the letter aloud:
“Most esteemed colleagues Terrance, Rhys, Sarin and Ambar, honorable factoti Morânia of Wolkenfels and Naghûl Ka'Tesh, honorable lady Jana Wetter, honorable gentlemen Kiyoshi and Sgillin,
as announced yesterday evening, I spent last night and this morning utilizing my faction's numerous connections and sources of information to learn more about our current adversary, Red Shroud. It was surprisingly difficult to uncover anything beyond the commonly known facts. Although the Mistress of Broken Reach is both old and well known, it proved challenging to obtain more in-depth and therefore valuable information. Red Shroud is apparently a master at keeping herself and her affairs in the dark, but in return she knows a lot about her opponents. Her skills in this area are truly admirable – it's just unfortunate that she's a tanar'ri.
Red Shroud is a demon who enjoys a formidable repute both within and outside the Abyss. To be precise, she has a triple reputation: First, she is the undisputed Mistress of Broken Reach, the Abyssal gate town to the Outlands. Second, she is a highly experienced expert in poisons of all kinds. Third, her reputation is also based on the fact that she has a considerable network of spies, is involved in several important, albeit dubious, planar organizations, and has access to numerous sources of rumors and information. Of course, the fact that she controls the only known source of black mithral in the entire multiverse also contributes significantly to her position of power.
Rumor has it that Red Shroud is the daughter of Malcanthet, the Queen of Succubi, and the demon prince Pazuzu. I have not been able to find clear evidence to support this claim, but the story seems plausible to me. The following information is also frequently repeated, but ultimately unconfirmed rumors: Red Shroud is almost two thousand years old and was the consort of several lesser demon princes during her first centuries before entering the service of the Dark Prince Graz'zt. She allegedly betrayed the demon prince, but it is unknown whether this was done at the behest of her presumed mother, Malcanthet. She had to flee to Pazunia, the first layer of the Abyss, or was banished there. Her alleged father Pazuzu has some influence on this layer. Whether with his help or through her own considerable talents, she managed to bring the fortress Broken Reach under her control, which until then had been ruled by Kordigon, a minion of Baphomet. Red Shroud apparently gained power quickly. She succeeded and continues to succeed in defending the highly coveted fortress against troops of Blood War mercenaries, but also other tanar'ri, even demon princes. Some go so far as to say that she has since become a lesser demon princess herself. Red Shroud is a cunning manipulator who uses her arts of seduction as well as her contacts and financial resources to achieve her ends. She takes great care to ensure that Broken Reach remains a hub of lower planar trade. As a result, the fortress is one of the few places in the Abyss where non-tanar'ri can move about relatively freely and without reprisals.
Like most succubi, Red Shroud has already begotten several sons and daughters. Among them are pure-blooded succubi or incubi, who were conceived with lesser demon princes, as well as various cambions and alu from mortal men. I urgently request that the following information be kept absolutely secret: Fall-from-Grace, member of the Sensates and owner of the Brothel for Slaking Intellectual Lusts, is one of Red Shroud's daughters. She was once sold into slavery by her mother – not an uncommon occurrence among succubi. Grace has had no contact with her mother for a long time, even before her rising, but she probably knows quite a bit about her. I will meet with her later and try to persuade her to give us some information. She does not like to talk about this part of her past, but I am sure she will make an exception in this case.
The organizations with which Red Shroud appears to be in close contact include: the Temple of the Abyss, the Iron Ring and probably some Golden Lords of Sigil. I also found out something that only a few people know. Please keep this information secret for now. I don't mind if our enemies underestimate our knowledge. Red Shroud is a member of an organization of succubi called the Original Sins Cartel. She may even be its leader. Chiryn, the Mistress of Pleasure and Pain, and Maretta, Lady of the Counting House and a concubine of Graz'zt, also belong to this cartel. I am in the process of finding out more about this organization and will inform you as soon as I know something of note.
May She Who Rules in Silence not cross your paths.
Lady Erin Montgomery, Factol of the Society of Sensation”
When she had finished, Amariel lowered the letter and looked at Sarin. He had obviously been listening very attentively, and now his expression showed a mixture of distaste, exhaustion and appreciation, the latter apparently for the fact, that Erin had obtained the information so quickly.
“Impressive,” he said. “I never cease to be amazed by Lady Erin's connections. So ... Red Shroud is as dangerous as we feared - or even more so. The Original Sins Cartel ... how fitting.” His dark gaze and gruff tone made it clear what he thought of it.
Amariel nodded with a sigh. “Yes, it's certainly as disreputable as one might imagine ...” She cleared her throat. “But it's good to know who we're dealing with. The information about Grace could be particularly useful. Perhaps we can use her knowledge of her mother to find clues about Red Shroud's possible weaknesses.”
“Indeed,” Sarin replied seriously. “However, we must be very careful not to put Lady Grace in danger. She obviously has suffered enough because of her mother, and I don’t want to drag her into this.” He stood up and began pacing up and down again. “The question is how we can use this information to free Lereia, Garush and Yelmalis without giving in to Red Shroud's demands.”
Amariel nodded. “Absolutely, Factol. I agree with you wholeheartedly that it would be far too risky to kiss her ... I mean, it would go against everything you ... There has to be another way.” She fell silent when she realized she had gotten a little tangled up in her words.
But to her relief, Sarin smiled, albeit pained. “First the Prophecy, and now this. I fear, decuria, that you have entered my service as my adjutant at a very challenging time. Believe me, I know how stressful such phases can be. But I appreciate your support and advice.“
Sarin didn't seem to notice, however, but stepped to the window and looked out at the city. Relieved that she didn't have to look him in the eye, Amariel straightened herself a little and placed Erin's letter on the desk.
“We have to find a way to free the prisoners,” she said. “There's no question about that. But we can't allow Red Shroud to extort you. That would not only create a critical precedent, it would also put you in a very dangerous position.”
He sighed deeply. “Only too true, decuria. And yet I'm not entirely sure that we can achieve one without the other. I've called a meeting for tomorrow, which Hashkar and Mallin will also attend. Perhaps we can come up with something.”
“We'll find a way, Factol,” Amariel reassured him. “Shall I inform Killeen of the current situation?”
“Yes, do that.” Sarin nodded. “I've already spoken to Tonat about it, and Killeen should also be in the picture. Just in case ... well.”
He didn't elaborate, but Amariel could clearly feel the pressure weighing on his shoulders. She would inform her brother and make preparations for the meeting the following day. But while she focused on the tasks at hand outwardly, she felt a mixture of determination and deep concern. She wanted to do everything in her power to help Sarin both free the prisoners and avert the threat posed by Red Shroud. But she also knew that dangers and difficult decisions lay ahead for her factol. Deep in her heart, she feared that Sarin might ultimately be forced to make a choice that would change his life - or even himself - forever. And she sensed that she feared this decision even more than she had feared the Day of Pain.
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